Miniature-stage-lighting system



I M rch 15 1927.

a V G. HALL MINIATURE STAGE LIGHTiNG SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov23, 1926 .7

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' G. L. HALL MINIATURE STAGE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Nov 25, 1926 aSheets-Sheet 2 fiwomowvw mw I March 15, 1927. 1,621,248 v G. HALLMINIATURE STAGE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Nov- 25, 1926 s Sheets-Sheei 5 o w6' 17 .9

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Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

GEORGE L. HALL; or MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MINIATTJRE STAG'ELIGHTING SYSTEM.

Application filed November 23, 1926, Serial No. 150,361.-

This invention relates" to aminiature theatre stagedighting system andto a miniature stage with which said lighting system may be used byscenic artists,-teachers and students in art schools and the like, toobtain on a miniature sea-1e in the studie or 7 of different colorswhichmayan'd pre'l'erably will be mounted on a reflector to' form a lightingunit, which is capable of being placed in diiferent positions withrelation to the miniature stage.

The miniature stageniay be apermanent structure, or, as preferred; itmay be" made as willvbe described so as to be knocked dbwninto compact'formfor transportation .by hand, and which can be set up in' aminimum't ime to produce in the studio or classroom a practicallycomplete miniature theatre-stage on which the lighting'an'd" colorefiects may be produced and quickly and easily changed to produce thedesired color efi'ects onthe scenery.

'ihe'panel of the portableswitchboard may also be provided with one ormoreindividual rheostats, which are connected in circuit 'Wltll lightingunits having individual, miniature lamps to obtain spotlight and likelighting ei'iects.

The portable miniature switchboard may and preferably will be providedwith means for supporting the portable lampsand their circuitwires, whenthe said lamps are 1101;

.c, a plan View of Fig. 1;

shown in Fig; 3

sanctions;

; Fig; 3, a side season of the-stage shown in Fig; 1 ,-look-ing towa r'dthe right v Fig'. 4,- a detail of a portion or the stage with oneot-"the border-lighting uni-tsetspended therefrom; ,5 i Fig. 5, alongitudinal section: cfthebnrderli hting unit shown in Figs. 2 3 and4t;

Fig. '6, a detail in cross-section or the footli'ghting' unit shown inFig; 3";

Fig. 7, plan of tlie foot lightiarg unit shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8; arfront elevation oft-he poi-table miniature switchboard withwhich lights shown in Figs. 2 to- 7 are connected;

Fig. 9, a side elevation of the switchboard shown in Fig". 8,-and y Hg.19, a detail of one of the spotlights lln Figs. I a) r is illustrated aportable miniature theatre stage, which is capable of members 14 and bybottom" members 15, v i

which constitute part or thestagefloor.

l he upright front and rear} walls 10-, 13 andtlie floor members 15may-be ct any suitbeing transported by hand and which is preferably ofthe construction as will now he described. i

able materia-luwhichis light yet-strong, such as relatively thickpaperboard. The top cross members or beams l lnia-y and preferably willbe made of metal, such as' light angle iron, like that used meccano'con- These' beams'are det'acliab'ly s ecure'd to t-hefront and rear'wa'lls 10, 13 by screws"16 and nuts 17, the screws-'16being extendedthrough end flanges 18 of the beams, as clearly shown in Figs 3' and 4..

'Phe'fi'oor members 15 are hinged atoneend to onciof the upright walls,and are detachably secured at their opposite ends to the other of saidwalls; I Inthipresentwinstanceg-the'fibor members 15 are hinged to thefront Wall-110byhiii es having opener QOsecured tO-the wall l0 by ascrew 21 and anut 22, and theother leaf E23 being'seciired toa floorInembenby the screw 2% and the nut 25. The opposite end of each floormember 15 is secured to the horizontal member 26 of an angle iron by ascrew 27 and a nut 28, and the vertical member 29 of said angle iron isfastened to the upright rear wall 13 by a screw 30 and a nut 31. l

The frontwall 10 may and preferably will also be tied to the rear wall13 by inclined braces, preferably extensible or adjustable by being madein two pieces 32, 33 which are secured together by screws 34 and nuts35, the screws being extended through suitable slots (not shown) in saidpieces.

Each brace 32, 33 is provided at its outer ends with flanges or angularextensions 37, 38 through which the screws 27, 39 are passed and whichare fastenedto the rear wall 13 by the nut 28 and to the front wall 10by the nut 40 (see Fig. 3). r

It will thus he observed that the front and rear walls are connectedtogether at their top and bottom and form a miniature portable stagewhich is capable of being set upon a desk, table or like support,represented by the line 41 in Fig. 3, and which is capable of beingknocked down and assembled together in'a compact condition fortransportationby hand or for shipment.

The floor members 15 support a center floor section 42 of glass, whichis preferably of greater length than the proscenium-arch and whoseopposite sides rest uponthe floor members 15. I

The space 43 below the floor of the stage is rendered accessible byproviding the front upright wall 10 with movable doors 45 pivotallysecured to the stationary side portions of the front wall by hinges 46.

The crois top beams 14 have their vertical lmembers 47 provided withopenings 48 for the reception of rods 49, which constitute overheadsupports for the drops or scenery 50, only one of which is shown inFigs. 2 and 3, and for the overhead or border lights 51 used toilluminate the drops from above.

The overhead supporting rods 49 are capable of being adjusted withrelation to the drops or scenery 50'by inserting them in difl'erentopenings 48 in the cross beams .14, and are retained in their adjustedpositions by a head 52 on one end of each rod and a nut 53 on the otherend of said rod.

In Fig. 2, six overhead supports or rods 49 are shown, and each pair ofthese rods may be used to support a drop 50 and a border-lighting unit51 co-operating therewith.

The border-lighting unit 51 may and preferably will be made as hereinrepresented (see Figs. 4 and 5), and comprises a substantiallytrough-shaped reflector 54 of a length suflicient to support a pluralityof sets of diiferent colored incandescent lamps of low voltage.

In the present instance, each border-lighting unit 51is provided asshown in Fig.5 with three sets of lamps, each set comprising four lampsof different colors, which part of the reflector and in this chamber arelocated the inlet wires 64 for the different lamps of the series, whichinlet wires are connected with terminals 65 supported by arms orbrackets 66 secured to the partition wall 61 of the reflector. The arms66 are suitably insulated from the terminals, as indicated by the heavyblack lines 67.

The reflector 54 is designed to be detachably suspended from one of thesupporting rods 49, which may be effected as shown by means of a wireloop 70 attached to the reflector and engaging a hook 71 mounted on oneof the rods 49 (see Fig. 4).

The lamps of the border-lighting unit are controlled from a portableswitchboard, which is capable of being transported by hand and of beingplaced in proximity to the miniature stage.

In the present instance, a preferred construction of switchboard isshown in Figs. 8 and 9, and comprises a panel 72 of insulating material,such as hard rubber or bakelite, which is secured to a metal framecomprising horizontal bars 73 and upright rods 74. i

The horizontal bars 73 are provided at one end with angle irons 75 towhichlatter the lower end of the panel 72 is secured by screws 7 6 andnuts 77. The panel 72 is detachably secured at its upper end by nuts 78to the bent upper ends of the rods 74, which ends are extended throughthe panel from zontal bars 73 co-operate to form a substantiallytriangular frame, which is light, portable and relatively inexpensive.The panel 72 has mounted upon it a plurality of horinot shown, but likethose illustrated in Figs.

messes rows; of rheostats 85 which are catd on the rear side of thepanel and attaichdd thereto, and Which have their shafts 96 extendedthrongh the panel and provided with handles or knobs 7 for turning thesame. i

These rheos'tats have a relstiv'dy 10w resistance value, preferablyabout thirty ohms, and are like those now commonly iised in radioreceiving-sets.

The retir upri ht rods' 74 may and preferat'ly will he provided with oneor more supporting members, represented as hooks 89, upon which theborder end other lighting units used for lighting: the miniature stag-e,

may be si'ip orted when not in use, as rep-,

resented in ig.'9.

' In the present instance, the panel 72, is provided Withthreehorizontal rows of rheostzits; those of the uppermost roivs, markedBorder in Fi 8, being designed to (30121- trol the bortler=iightingunit's; those marked Fooflights? being designed to controlthefee-flights, and those marked Spot-lights being designed to controlthe spotlights.-

Iii Fig. 3,two'footl1ghting' units are shown as located in the space 43below the floor of the miniature stage. These footlighting 'iinits arerepresented in F igs. 6 and 7, and

' each com 'ar'is'es arefiector 90 provided with a plurality of sockets91 for the reception of a plurality of sets'of lamps 92, herein shown inFig.7 as Composed of four sets of three each, which are electricallyconnected'with the rheosfitatsin thesec'ond horizontal row'on the panel,

The reflectors 9 provided with aflat I 's' irfnoe 93 Which is designedto' rest on the desk or other support upon which the miniatu're stage'isplaced.v I i The reflectors of the fdotlighting units are arranged tothrow light upwardly through the glass floor section 42, and onelighting iinit may be located near thefront Wall 10 to obtain thelighting effect of the ii'suel footlights in the regular theatre, andthe other may be located near the rear WEI-1113 so as to throw the lightupwardly on said rear Wall or upon the drop or scenery, as

represented in Fig. 3.

The footlighting unit or units represented in Fig. 3 are designed to besupported when not in use by thehorizontal bars of the portiibleswitchboard, as represented in Fig. 9, wherein one footlig'hting unit isshown.

The third horizontal row ofrheostats on the panel 7 2 is designed tocontrol lighting units having individual spotlights, which arerepresented in liig'. 10, and comprise a reector 94 provided with a,miniature lamp,

5 and 6, and also provided With a siiitable rim or frame he ngmemhers95, 96 between whim epiece eel-sired celluloid or like melightingeffect. 7 r i It Will be further understood that the differentlightingnnits'are connected with the serial 9 7 i's pieeed, to give thefpeftieier color effect desired.

A plurality of these 1 spotlightdighting Units may he ivotaiiymo ntdiipoh a port'- ithle frame or miniature Iighthridge, corhprising. a topbar or nieiiih'fQS, and up right side bears ormeinherstli), representedby dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2,- and oi e side bar otwhic'h is shownfull lines in Fig.3. I

Only one spotlight unit is shown in Fig.

"which is pivot'an secured to e breelt'et adapted to be deteeha'blyfastened on the mp member 98 0f the light bridge, but it will heiinderstoo'd that additional spoeiightsrs4 an. and may he pivetallyconnected with britehets' 100 which are eetaehebly secured to the topmember 98 -and also" With thefupright side members 99 of the lightbridge. i v

The spotlight u nits'he't'e their Wire's eonnected with the rheostats inehe thinzl herizontel row on the panel, and when net'in use may lie-hungupon the hooks 89 or otherwise supported by the-swit hboard frame.

The panel ofthfe switchboard may be pro- 5 vided with a miniature lei-mp101 for lighting the front of the board.

' In the present instance, the panel 72 is shown as rovided with threehorizontal rows of rheo'st-tits, each row comprising vfern rheostats,one for each color e 1amp,'anc1 when a lighting unit',-sueh as theborder and ,foot lights, is rovided with a plurality of sets or groupsox lamps,- as represented by the lighting units, shown iii-Figs; fiend7, 5 r

comprising lamps of four different-semis,

to Wit: red, yellow, green and blue, and the lamps of the, sameolor areeonneeted in cineuit with a suitable source of currentsuppl through asingle -rlieostat,tind to make this clear, the rheo'stats on the panel7-2heve had applied to them, the color of the lamp which they control. v

i In thepresent; instance onl three horizontal rows of theo'stets arerepresented on the panel 72, which number/of rows is deemed sufiieienttoillustrate the invention, but it will be understood that-the panel 72may he provided With additional rows of rheo'stats, if necessary, toobtain the desired rheostats on the panel 72 by the wires 62,64assembled in the form of ceble's105,'port=ions of which are shown in-Figs.'-2, 3, 5 and. 7,- so that the lighting units are directly andpermanently connected with the rheostets ofthe switchboard and arecapable of being assembled thereon" to be portable therewith when notin-use, and to be removed there- .from and placed 111 dltferentpositions w1th relat1on to themnnature stage when in use,

whereby different lighting effects upon the miniature stage may beobtained in order to determine the best lighting effect for a particularsetting of the stage, and when the best llghting effect on the miniaturestage is obtained, the same effect may be obtained in the regulartheatre without further experi mentation with the lights of the regulartheatre'.- p 7 The portable switchboard maybe provided with a handle 106attached to the panel 72, bymeans of which it can be convenientlycarriedin one hand of the person transporting the same.

The miniature portable switchboard having the miniature or low voltagelamps,

preferably six volts, may be used with safety and to advantage with aminiature stage which is capable of being knocked down and assembled incompact form, as, for instance, when used by different scenicartists,'but it is notdesired to limit the invention in this respect, asthe miniature switchboard and its connected lighting units portabletherewith, may betused inrelatively large studios, art schools and likeplaces,'with miniature stages of difierent designs and structures, whichmay be more or less of a permanent character and not capable of beingknocked down.

I One embodiment of the invent-ion, which may be preferred, is hereinshown, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particularconstruction shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable miniature stage-lighting system, in combination, aportable miniature switchboard provided with a panel having thereon aplurality of relatively low resistance rheostats, a plurality oflighting units governed by said rheostats, some of said lighting unitscomprising a reflector and aplurality of sets of relatively low voltagelamps carried by said reflector, the lamps of each set being capable ofgiving different colored lights, and flexible conductors connecting thelamps. of the same color of the different sets of lamps to a singlerheostat on said panel, said flexible conductors being of substantiallength to permit the lighting .units to be located a substantialdistance away from the switchboard when in use and to enable saidlighting units to be assembled Y on the switchboard to be transportedtherewith when not in use.

2. In a portable miniature stage-lighting system, in combination, aportable miniature switchboard comprising a substantially triangularframe having a panel forming one side of said frame and provided with aplurality of relatively low resistance rheostats arranged in rows, aplurality of lighting units co -operating with said rheostats to becontrolled thereby, some of said lighting units comprising a reflectorhaving a plurality of sets of lamps of different colors, with thecolored lamps in each set cor responding in number to the rheostats in agiven row on said panel, and flexible conductors of substantial lengthconnecting the lamps of the same color in the different sets of lamps ofone lighting unit with the same rheostatin said given row of rheostats.V

3. In a portable miniature stage-lighting system, in combination, aportable miniature flector and arranged 'in sets, and flexibleconductors connecting said lamps with said rheostats in a manner toenable a single rheostat to control the same colored lamp of all thesets of lamps, said flexible conductors being of substantial length toenable the lighting unit tobe located a substantial distance from saidswitchboard and being connected with said, rheostats and lighting unitto enable the latter to be 'supported by said frame and transportedtherewith when not in use.

4. In a portable miniature stage-lighting system, in combination, aportable miniature switchboard having mounted thereon a plurality ofgroups of relatively low resistance rheostats, a plurality of lightingunits of relatively low voltage movable with relation to said portableswitchboard and capable of giving different colored lighting effects,and flexible conductors connecting said lighting units with saidrheostats and of suflicient length to enable the lighting units to beplaced at different distances from said switchboard when in use.

5. In a miniature stage-lighting system, in combination, a miniatureswitchboard having mounted thereon a plurality of groups of relativelylow resistance rheostats, a plurality of lighting units of relativelylow voltage movable with relation to said switchboard and capable ofgiving different colored lighting effects, and flexible conductorsdirectly connecting said lighting units with said rheostats to enablethe lighting units to be supported by the switchboard when not in use,and of sufficient length to enable the lighting units to be placed atclifferent distances from said switchboard when having mounted thereon aplurality of e on said stage and flexibly connected With groups ofrelatively low resistance rheostats, said rheostats to be controlled bythelatter and a plurality of lighting units of rela- While permittingmovement of the lighting 1 tively low voltage movable With relation tounits with relation to said stage. the miniature stage and capable ofbeing In testimony whereof, I have signed my placed in difierentpositions with relation name to this specification.

thereto to obtain different lighting effects GEORGE L. HALL.

